Harness.



PATENTED AUG. 30, 1904.

B. A. DUNKLE.

HARNESS.

APPLICATION FILED 001230, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

Im e/z for No. 769,066. I

Patented August so, 1904..

PATENT OFFICE.

BLAKE A. DUNKLE, OF'EAST PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

HARNESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 769,066, dated. August30, 1904. Application filed October 30, 1903. Serial No. 179,174. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it knownthat I, BLAKE A. DUNKLE, a citizen of the United States,residing at East Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inHarness, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadtherein to the accompanying drawings.

The object of this invention is to provide a harness or hitching-gearhaving a permanent mounting on the vehicle-shafts and operative in suchmanner that the horse may be quickly and conveniently hitched andunhitched, the only portion of the harness that is applied .in theusualmanner being the bridle.

The invention consists in the novel structural features and combinationand arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, andillustrated by the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a top planview of harness and vehicle-shafts embodying the invention, and

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view on line 3 3 of Fig. 1.. Figs. 4 and 5are detail views.

Referring to the drawings, 2 designates the shafts, and 3 and 3 are fiatmetal straps secured, respectively, to the under sides of the shafts.Said straps are preferably formed of a single piece of metal, beingconnected at the rear the curved cross portion 4, which constitutes theharness breeching. This breeching member being of metal, and hence quitestiff, I secure to opposite sides of the inner face thereof theleaf-springs 5, which are adapted to yield when thehorse is holdingback, the free ends 5 of the springs cooperating at such time withbreeching 4, as

indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 1. Screws 6 serve to adjust the tensionof said springs.

Hinged at 7 to the forward end of shaftstrap 3 is the forwardly-curvedmetallic breast collar 8, formed at its free end with hook 9 to engagehook 10, formed at the forward extremity of shaft-strap 3. This forms asecure fastening for the breast-collar and one which may bereadily'detached for unhitching the horse. I prefer to have the collarextend upward between the shafts when in use, as shown in Fig. 2, and inorder that the same may swing outward or open, as in dotted lines inFig. 1, the forward portion of strap 3 is not secured to the shaft, andhence is free to spring downward, as in dotted lines, Fig. 2,

so that the collar may turn outward, as clescribed.

The harness-saddle 11 is formed of metal, with its extremitiesbifurcated at 11 and looped around the shafts at 12and permanentlysecured thereto, the forked saddleends providing a braced connectionwith the shafts, which is very desirable. While the breastcollarconnects with the shaft-straps '3 and 3, yet the draft is directly onthe shafts, and

with a heavy load they would tend to spring inward and bind the horsewere it not for saddle 11, which is sufiiciently heavy to remainbelly-band for engaging the body of the horse and holding the band withthe required tightness. I

20 represents the turrets, having stems 20 movable through apertures insaddle 11, and

secured to their inner ends is the saddle-pad 21, springs 22 beingarranged on the stems between the saddle and pad for holding the sameprojected inward.

WVith the breast-collar and belly-band disengaged in the mannerdescribed the horse may be placed in position between the shafts, and asthe breeching is already in place all that is necessary to complete thehitching is to attach the belly-band and breast-collar.

With the several parts of the harness formed of metalthey retain thedesired shape regardand are always in position for use, so that a lessof the presence or absence of the horse IOO hitching may be veryhurriedly effected. At the same time the construction is mostsubstantial and durable. While I prefer to connect the breeching andbreast-collar and reinforce the shafts by extending forward thebreeching-forming strap, I do not con fine myself thereto, and obviouslythe construction may be changed in various ways without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of a pair of shafts, draftmeans uniting with the forward ends thereof, and a substantially rigidsaddle member carried by the shafts rearward from their forward ends andadapted to brace the shafts against the contracting tendency occasionedby the pull of the draft means.

2. The combination of a pair of shafts, metallic straps extendinglongitudinally of the shafts and secured thereto, a brecching memberconnecting the rear ends of the shafts, and a collar member constructedand arranged to unite with the forward ends of the stra1')s.

3. The combination with vehicle-shafts, of a breast-collar connected atits ends to the shafts, and a substantially rigid harness-saddleconnecting and bracing the shafts.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BLAKE A. DUN KLE.

Witnesses:

JOHN J. WALKER, J. M. NEsBrr.

